macOS - Systems for composing articles and research papers
Ubuntu Desktop 24.04 LTS - Systems used in FPGA/SoC design, system project development, and CTF Reverse/Pwn problem-solving tools.
๐ Browser
Brave - A browser with built-in ad blocking and tracker blocking features, which, when properly configured, can prevent redirects to malicious websites.
๐๏ธ Schedule management
Apple Calendar - The default calendar app in macOS, keeping track of monthly to-dos.
Notion Calendar - Notionโs calendar extension works with project tracking templates to display what needs to be done each week and help manage time.
๐ Terminal-related tools
Vim - The most powerful terminal editor, bar none; its rich set of shortcuts lets you accomplish anything without taking your fingers off the keyboard.
Neovim - Offers nice color highlighting in Vim, so keywords and functions are visually distinct when writing code.
tmux - A powerful terminal session management tool. Remote-controlled experiments often take a lot of time, and itโs common to step away for a meal while the experiment is running, but thereโs always the risk of SSH disconnects due to network issues. With session management, you can resume your experiment results. Also, since multiple windows are often needed to edit different parts of the code, tmux allows you to open multiple panes to edit separate sections simultaneously.
๐ Presentation Slide
Overleaf Beamer - Commonly used in academic presentations, it natively supports various mathematical formulas. You can use it on Overleaf or install a LaTeX compiler on your computer to create presentations. For users familiar with LaTeX syntax, itโs a powerful tool to quickly finish presentations without the hassle of managing template layouts
๐ Note-taking software / Text editor
Obsidian - A free software that makes writing Zettelkasten notes very convenient, primarily using Markdown syntax.
Notion - A powerful note-taking app with many free and paid templates, such as course notes, business management, habit tracking, and more. Using the university mail account upgrade to Education Plus plan allows you to store a large amount of information.
Visual Studio Code - Also known as VSCode, itโs a lightweight text editor released by Microsoft. Unlike the heavier Visual Studio IDE, itโs well-suited for viewing markdown or JSON files.
๐๏ธ Academic Software
EndNote 21 - Universities in Taiwan almost always purchase the 2021 license, which is used to record the papers I’ve read. Itโs very convenient to insert references into Microsoft Word or Overleaf
TeXShop - On macOS, I use VSCode to edit TeX files and can also compile them locally. Once, when the Overleaf website went down at night while I was rushing to finish a report, I was really anxious. Thatโs when I realized the importance of having a backup plan. I recommend saving a copy of your favorite Overleaf templates to your hard drive as a backup
๐ฌ Communication Software
Discord - Many cybersecurity communities like to create private Discord servers for discussions, which have been very beneficial.
๐น Digital Audio Workstation
Logic Pro - The most popular DAW on macOS, which, combined with a variety of plugins, can simulate many possibilities. You can still have a lot of fun using just a MIDI keyboard.
๐๏ธ Video Editing Software
Final Cut Pro - The most popular editing software on macOS, and also the reason I canโt leave macOS.
Streamlabs - An optimized version developed on top of OBS. Although OBS supports various plugins for assistance, it can sometimes lag on macOS. In comparison, Streamlabs improves some features without using too much computer resources. It can still be used for streaming and recording, especially with pane-style recording that allows capturing the screen, webcam, and microphone audio simultaneously.
๐ป Website Building Tool
Wordpress - A dynamic website building system; if there are form or interaction requirements, it can only rely on systems with a database.
Hugo - A static site generator that, when combined with GitHub Pages, can create very beautiful websites.
๐ E-Ink Product
Readmoo Mooink Pro 2C - The first 13.3-inch colour e-paper reader on the Taiwanese market was launched by Readmoo. Its flexible screen makes the device very lightweight and thin, allowing me to hold it while walking when reading papers. I can also hold it in one hand and write on the blackboard with the other during lecturesโtruly a great companion for research.
Kobo Libra 2 - A 7-inch black-and-white e-paper reader with a screen that makes text very clear. Koboโs system has always been very stable and comfortable to use indoors. However, it is no longer sold after the new color version was released.
Kobo Clara BW - Koboโs smallest 6-inch black-and-white device is very handy when going out. It fits perfectly in my pants pocket.
โ๏ธ Online Services
๐ Writing Platform
Overleaf - An online academic writing editor with various templates provided by many universities. Registering with a university email can upgrade to a Premium plan. Itโs very useful for collaborative editing.
๐ Learning Platform
Udemy - Among paid platforms, there are those where you can purchase course access at a low price instead of a mandatory subscription. There are often promotional periods.
Coursera - The platform with the most free courses worldwide, where even Google and other big companies offer free certifications.
edX - Collects free online courses recorded by MIT, Harvard, UC Berkeley, Cambridge, Columbia, and other American universities.
Future Learn - Also a platform that collects online courses from various universities.
CYBRARY - A free cybersecurity training platform that offers materials for both red team and blue team.
EC-Council Learning - A platform established by EC-Council, which is the main certification center for Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), offering many paid but valuable red team training materials
๐ E-Book Platform
Kobo - A globally active multilingual e-book platform that meets my needs for Mandarin Chinese and English books, with daily discounts at 3.99 USD.
๐ถ Music-Related
YAMAHA P-125a - The digital electric piano I mainly use for practice.